Category Archives: Julie Bissinger

Texas French Bread, located at 2900 Rio Grande, offers quality coffee, fresh-baked bread and pastries and a large lunch menu. Photo by Julie Bissinger

I finally found a great French bistro in Austin. Texas French Bread doesn’t really fit the mold of a coffee shop, but that doesn’t stop the bakery from serving up a great cup of Joe.

Located at 2900 Rio Grande, just outside the West Campus neighborhood, Texas French Bread is a convenient lunch alternative for University of Texas students. Texas French Bread caters to a mixed crowd, including twenty-somethings, families with young children and older generations. The country decor and open space make the bistro a more sophisticated lunch option. Continue reading →

Flipnotics is built on a steep hill in the heart of South Austin. Photo by Julie Bissinger

During my quest to find coffee shops around Austin, I came across Flipnotics on a Google search. The website is space-alien themed, so I figured this coffee shop must be a cool place to hang out or to catch up on work. I could not have been more correct.

Flipnotics, located at 1601 Barton Springs Rd., lives up to its eccentric qualities displayed on its website. The coffee shop is perched up on a steep hill and is surrounded by trees. The large outdoor seating deck features odd decorations like an old television set converted into a fish tank. Flipnotics also holds live music concerts on its patio throughout the week. Continue reading →

Jeanie's Java leases space from the Great Outdoors Nursery on South Congress. Photo by Julie Bissinger

Jeanie’s Java truly is another of Austin’s hidden gems. I had no idea the coffee shop existed until I stumbled upon on it while visiting the Great Outdoors Nursery with my roommate. Jeanie’s Java blends in with the nursery’s trees and plants, so it took me a minute to realize the building was a coffeehouse.

Jeanie’s Java takes advantage of its location, though. The coffee shop, located at 2730 S. Congress Ave., leases its space from the nursery and is a separate business. The outdoor patio overlooks the nursery’s gardens, allowing patrons to view flowers, plants, trees and yard decorations. The air also feels cleaner due to all of the vegetation. Continue reading →

Dominican Joe Coffee Shop is a hot spot on South Congress. The quality coffee, great atmosphere and quiet environment make this coffeehouse a popular place for students from the University of Texas and St. Edwards Univeristy to study. Dominican Joe’s charitable aspect also draws people in. Continue reading →

We thought it’d be a good idea to rate all of the coffee shops that we’ve tried. Using a scale from 1-10, with 1 being poor and 10 being excellent, we rated each coffeehouse based on four categories: atmosphere, coffee, food and service. We also calculated an overall rating by averaging each of the four categories together.

Kick Butt Coffee has two locations in the Austin-area, one at 4600 Guadalupe (pictured) and 5775 Airport Blvd. Photo by Julie Bissinger

I stumbled upon Kick Butt Coffee over the weekend before I met some friends for dinner at the Triangle. I decided to come back, and check it out. I figured the place must be called Kick Butt Coffee for a reason.

Once I walked inside, I was a bit surprised. Martial arts equipment and Samurai swords adorned the walls. The menu was typed in Asian-themed font. I felt as though I was in a sushi restaurant that smelled of blueberries. Ironically, Kick Butt does not serve any Asian dishes, unless the “Jackie Chan Cheddar and Ham Samich” counts. Continue reading →

Apothecary Cafe & Wine Bar, located in central Austin, offers a quiet environment for patrons to relax and enjoy good food and drinks. Photo by Julie Bissinger

Several of my friends recommended that I try out Apothecary Cafe & Wine Bar. I’m glad that I listened. Apothecary served up one of the best lattes I’ve had so far. Their food was just as good, too.

Located in the Rosedale Village Shopping Center at 4800 Burnet Road, Apothecary is ideal for catching up on work or taking advantage of happy hour deals. The environment does not resemble that of most other Austin-area coffee shops. The cluttered, artsy interior that is characteristic of many Austin coffeehouses is replaced with spaciousness and a sophisticated aura. Apothecary caters to people in their 30s and 40s with its soothing folk/jazz music and wine bar. Continue reading →